10-hour dance marathon raises funds and hope for Beads of Courage arts-in-medicine programs

Get your courage in motion and help raise funds to provide Beads of Courage arts-in-medicine programs for children coping with serious illness at Diamond Children’s. Teams and individuals are invited to participate in the 3^rd annual fund-raising dance marathon, Saturday, April 6, 2013, at the University of Arizona Recreation Center’s MAC Gym.

Beads of Courage transforms the treatment experience for kids coping with serious illness, offering them innovative arts-in-medicine programs which strengthen resilience and improve quality of life, said Jean Baruch, Ph.D., RN, Program Founder. The dance marathon donations help sustain Beads of Courage programs at Diamond Children’s, part of the University of Arizona Health Network, and support the development and implementation of a new, innovative movement program for children who need extensive outpatient and inpatient care.

Fifteen-year-old liver transplant recipient Robert King-Kidder is this year’s Grand Marshall of the dance marathon. Robert said the Beads of Courage his “hospital life” is much better because of this program at Diamond Children’s while he waited for his liver transplant. His goal is to raise $1,000 for the Beads of Courage program and to raise awareness of the lives saved through organ donation.

“Beads of Courage gave me courage and hope while I waited for my liver transplant,” Robert said. “This is an amazing program and I want to help keep it going for other kids who are sick and spending a lot of time at Diamond Children’s. I have been given a great honor to be the Grand Marshall for this fund-raiser.”

Robert explained that each bead is symbolic for a medical event or procedure when you have a chronic illness. For example, he said that a black bead indicates a needle poke and a yellow bead shows you had an overnight hospital stay. From his first diagnosis of biliary atresia through the transplant and follow-up care, Robert has accumulated thousands of beads, adding “each one is important.”

“My beads help me feel strong and also help others understand what I’ve been through in my life,” he said. In addition to the Beads of Courage work, Robert also helps raise awareness about the benefits of transplantation through The Donor Network of Arizona.

To participate in the dance marathon, an attendee raises or donate $60 for the full day or may drop in for $12 an hour. Everyone who registers for the full day receives a T-shirt, event swag bag, custom water bottle, lunch, pizza party, and entered into a drawing for prizes.

Each hour of the dance marathon carries a special theme, such as Love, Hope, Spirit, Laughter, and more. There will be 10 minute rest breaks each hour featuring live performances from local Tucson dance companies. Prizes will be awarded to the top three fundraisers, and there will be a costume contest with categories for Hip Hop, Beach Party, 1980’s/Disco, and more. To learn more about the dance marathon and to register for this event visit www.courageinmotion.org

Beads of Courage, Inc. (a 501(C)3 tax-exempt organization) was founded in 2005 in Tucson by Jean Baruch, the 2012 University of Arizona College of Nursing Alumnus of the Year. Since then, the organization has grown to be an intricate part of the nursing process, with its innovative programs being incorporated into pediatrics care at more than 150 hospitals worldwide. More than 30,000 children participate in the Beads of Courage Family, from the United States, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada. Fore more information visit www.beadsofcourage.org or www.courageinmotion.org

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 6th, 2013 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.